Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-16

looked consid' able pulled out Ike, maxim
him seem like bar'l sailin' in the ar
Ez the bar kim afloatin' out O. the dep's
could feel my eyes begin to bulge an
my knees to shake like a jumpin' jacks.
But I couldn't move no more'n q stun
wall kin, an thar / stood on the edge o
the gulley starin' at the bar ez 1t sailed
on ND lords me. The bar were maxim
a desper't effort to git itself back TO its
nat'ral p'sition on all fours, but tn want
no use, an up he sailed, tail foremost an
lookin' ez if he were gointer bust the next
minute. he were sweued out So Ez the
bar bobbed up and passed by me could
ha reached out an grabbed him by the
paw, an / think he wanted me to, the
way he acted, but 1 couldn't ha' made a
move to stop him, not if he'd ha' ben my
gran mother. The bar sailed on above
me, an tn were look in his eyes th't
/ won't never forget. 1t was skeert
look, an look that seemed to say th't it
were all my fault, an th't I'd be sorry fer
it some time. The bar squirmed an
struggled agin comm to setch an Onheerd
On end, but up'ards lie went, tail fore
most, to'ards the clouds.
II stood thar par'lyzed vile the bar
went Up'ard. The crows that had been
settlin' round in the trees, 'spcctin' to hey
a bully meal, went to flynn an scootin'
around the onfOrtnit bar, an yelled till
were durn nigh deet 1t want until the
bar had foated up nigh onto hundred
yards in the air, "a begun TO looA like
fiyin' cub, that my senses kim back to me.
Quick e5 fash raulmed load inter my
rife, wrappin' the ball with big piece o
dry linen, not hevin' time TO tear il TO the
right size Then l took aim an let her
60 Fast ez that ball went l could see
that the linin' round it had been sot On
fire by the powder. The ball overlook the
bar and bored hole in his side. Then
the funniest thing Of oil happened A
streak o. fire yard long shot out O. the
bars side whar the bullet had gone in,
an ez long as that poor bewitched bar
were in sight-fer O. course | thort at the
time th't the bar were bewitched-I could
see that streak O. fire ssilin' along in the
sky till it went out at last like a shootin'
star never know'G wat become o the
bar, an the hull thing were startlin'
myst'ry to ne, but kim home, Squire,
an tor ye the story, jest ez I've tol' it TO
ye now, an ye were so durn polite th't ye
said were a liar. But sence I've been
thinkin' an recollectin', Squire, don't
hold no gredge. The myst'TY's plain ez
day, now. We don't want no better signs
o. gas thin that, do we, 'Squiref'
Than what?' said the squire.
ethan whatp' exclaimed the Old Set
tier THAN that bar, o. course! That's
wat allied him. It's plain enough int
thur nat'ral gas on the Groner place, an
th't it leaks outen the ground IN Deep
Rock Gully. Wen tint bar tumbled to
the bottom int day he fell on his face.
die were hurt SO tht he couldn't get up.
o. course the gas didn't shet itself of,
but KEEP on leakin' an shot up inter the
b ar's mouth and down his throat. The
onfortnit bar couldn't help hisself, an
bimby he were filed with gas like a bal
loon, till he had to float, an away he
sailed, up an up an up. Wen l fred at
the bar, eg he was fioatin' to'ards the
clouds, the linen On the bullet carried fire
with it, an wen the bullet tapped the
bars side the burnin' linen sot it on fire,
shown th't tn can't be no doubt bout
it bein' gas th't the bar swallowed in
Deep Rock Gully. So ye see, Squire,
want no liar, an the chances is all III
favor O. your seem q balloon h'isted from
gas right in yer own bailiwick afore We
turn up yer toes"
The Squire gazed at the Old Settler in
silent amazement for a minute or more.
Then he threw up his hands and said:
''Wall-Tll-be-dur nedP'-Ed Mott
in New York Sun.